A man originally from this province says it’s time for action after receiving a call that his mother was assaulted by another patient at a long term care home in central.

Sean Pinsent says he was contacted by staff at the Dr. Hugh Twomey Centre in Botwood who say his mother, an 83-year-old dementia resident, was attacked in her sleep after someone entered her room.

He says his mother, who is nearing the end of her life, is now dealing with a number of injuries.

The attack left her covered with bruises and cuts that had to be sealed with glue. When he saw the number on his phone last week, Pinsent thought the home had called to notify him that his mother had passed away. He did not expect to hear that she had been beat under the watch and care of Central Health staff.

Pinsent says an investigation is now underway to confirm the attack was carried out by another patient on the dementia ward. He says this is not the first time a resident has been attacked while in a secure setting and blames staffing shortages for lack of security.

He says government along with the health authority need to get serious about staffing these facilities and increase the ratio of staff per patient. Pinsent believes dedicated security staff need to be added to ensure nobody is able to enter another patients room.

VOCM News has reached out to Central Health for comment.